Dr.
Ira Shapiro from Old Bridge, N.J., and Dr. Jeffrey Solomon from Miami,
Fla., have been selected as the team chiropractors for the U.S. Olympic
Team during the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. The U.S.
Olympic Committee medical staff consists of medical doctors, certified
athletic trainers, massage therapists, chiropractors and pharmaceutical
experts. As part of the selection process, applicants are assessed on
their clinical expertise, in addition to their ability to work under
pressure and effectively relate to and communicate with the athletes,
coaches, administrators and other medical staff. "As our nation's
Olympians strive for gold in Italy, many of them will rely on
chiropractic care. Athletes believe in chiropractic not only for
rehabilitation purposes and for treatment of overuse injuries, but also
because they feel hands-on chiropractic care gives them a competitive
edge," said ACA President Richard G. Brassard, DC. Athletes have long
understood the value of chiropractic care as a means to maintain their
health and improve their competitiveness. In the past, U.S. athletes
sought out chiropractic care on the side because they strongly believed
in its effectiveness to alleviate pain at the source and to condition
their bodies for peak performance. Additionally, with increased
scrutiny surrounding the use of performance-enhancing drugs, athletes
are turning to safe, drug-free health care whenever possible. The
roster of Olympic athletes who have benefited from chiropractic care is
truly impressive. Star performers such as Derek Parra, Carl Lewis, Greg
Louganis, Willi Banks, Edwin Moses, and countless other greats from
previous Olympics have taken advantage of chiropractic in order to get
a leg up on their competition.